Faux chocolate tofu, warm haddock flakes with pink pepper, baby leeks in soya vinaigrette

Frédéric Bau

For 4 people

For the chocolate tofu
450 g of fish stock
150 g of cream
8 Mancha saffron pistils
5 cardamom pods
150 g of Araguani chocolate (72% cocoa)
4 g of agar
salt and Espelette pepper

For the leeks in vinaigrette
20 baby leeks
salt

For the flaked haddock
500g of haddock fillet
70 cl of fresh whole milk
a few pink peppercorns
Espelette pepper

For the soya vinaigrette
5 cl of soy sauce
10 cl of grape seed oil
1 spoonful of lemon juice

 

Bring the fish stock to the boil and leave the saffron and cardamom seeds in infusion for about 5 minutes. Dissolve the agar with a whisk, then add the cream. Bring back to the boil, without stirring too much to prevent the formation of bubbles. Cover the chopped chocolate with the boiling mixture and whisk to blend thoroughly. Gradually add the liquid, whisking properly all the time to obtain a smooth texture, then filter through a Chinoise sieve. Add salt and Espelette pepper to taste, then pour the mixture into a container, creating a thickness of about 4 cm. Leave to cool and set overnight before using. Cut into a square or rectangle just before serving.

Wash the leeks and cook them English-style, with 1 l of water, without boiling too much, so that they retain their original consistency. Drain and place in the fridge.

Soak the haddock fillet in the milk for at least 3 or 4 hours. Rinse and dry with a clean cloth. Use a filleting knife to cut strips (not too fine) and arrange them on baking paper, in a rectangular shape, like pleats. Place in the fridge. Before serving, steam the fish gently, dust with the pink pepper and a pinch of Espelette pepper.

For the vinaigrette, add the ingredients to 2 cl of water, without mixing, so that the sauce remains separate. Place in the fridge.

Place the rectangles of cold “tofu” on the plates, surrounded by leeks, and coat lightly with vinaigrette. Finish off with the hot flakes of haddock and serve.